In the words of Adinda Putri: “If change does not come from young people, we will never see a true transformation”
Date:
Interviewed by Ryan Rihi
Adinda Putri Kusumawardhani, widely known as Dinda, has been a National Gender Youth Activist (NGYA) for UN Women Indonesia since 2024. Prior to this, she founded MOCARO, an organization focused on providing safe spaces for child marriage survivors in East Java, Indonesia.
In my own region of East Java, girls are often treated as assets, ones that parents can exchange for wealth and material gain to satisfy their own needs. Most of these girls are matched with older and wealthier men. Some are married off before even finishing primary school. When I first entered high school, one of my friends was already carrying a child. It was at that point that I grew deeply concerned and found the courage to build MOCARO.
MOCARO focuses on empowering children, particularly child marriage survivors, so that they can continue to grow, create, and have access to a safe and positive space. Beyond that, I also work to foster the involvement of other community organizations, such as the Family Empowerment and Welfare Movement Team, particularly for those living in low-income coastal communities. MOCARO provides training to girls and facilitates the tools needed to transform mangroves into coffee, syrup and other products for selling.
I believe that we cannot forever rely on adults to drive change. If change does not come from young people, we will never see a true movement or transformation. After all, it is us, young people, who can most naturally and effectively reach our own peers.
Although MOCARO values and recognizes the vital role of young people, the Government has yet to fully support or acknowledge that importance. Sometimes, our work was used by the Government to present to other parties without involving me or MOCARO itself. On top of that, the organization has also faced community resistance and the ongoing challenge of ensuring programme sustainability.
There was a moment when I nearly gave up. I was aware that I had reached my lowest point. But I did not stop, because my drive to create change in my surroundings kept me going. I came to realize there are many children who need my encouragement, and I witnessed first-hand how many of them said this programme had brought real difference in their lives.
From this, I always remind myself that no great change comes without starting somewhere. No real change happens without taking action today. The challenges ahead of us are many. There are still so many people whose awareness, compassion and habits we need to nurture and inspire.”